Daniel McCrohan - Bangladesh

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Gorgeously green yet swamped with people, Bangladesh is a rural wonderland laden with waterways, peppered with villages and bursting with humanity.

Bangladesh is awash with rivers; more than 700 of them flow through this small country and the result is a deliciously lush landscape with more shades of green than you ever imagined. Flooding is an annual feature and by the end of the summer huge swathes of Bangladesh are submerged under rising water levels, leaving rich alluvial soils from which to grow next years harvests. There are almost as many kilometres of rivers in Bangladesh as there are roads, and travelling by boat is a way of life here. For the traveller, this provides a fabulous opportunity to see the country from a more unusual angle. Arrive at a town by bus and youre confronted with traffic, fumes, noise and confusion. Arrive by boat and its almost like sneaking quietly through the back door. Even if youre going nowhere in particular, travelling by boat along a river in Bangladesh is one of the most rewarding things you can do during your visit. This is one of the worlds most densely populated countries, but once youre sitting on a small wooden rowboat, floating slowing down a country river, its easy to imagine you have it all to yourself.

Bangladeshis are famously friendly, and you are almost certain to receive a warm welcome everywhere you go. Feeling like youre the centre of attention is, of course, a feature of travel in almost any part of south Asia, but its sometimes coupled with a sense that your new friend may want something from you. In Bangladesh, though, the fascination with you is genuine, and rarely will you suspect an ulterior motive. The tourism industry is in its infancy and foreign visitors are still an unusual sight outside Dhaka. If you enjoy making friends, mixing with the locals and having the opportunity to travel around a country without bumping into too many other foreign faces, then Bangladesh is probably just the place youve been looking for.

This isnt a destination to be rushed. Poor infrastructure, an undeveloped tourist industry and the ubiquitous language barrier (not as many people speak English here as you might think) mean that youll often be left frustrated if youre trying to travel in a hurry. So slow down; dont try to pack too much into your itinerary. Bangladesh isnt a tick-the-sights-off-the-list type of country. Its a place to relax, meet people and discover new ideas and ways of life. And for that you need time.

Watering Zareen Tea Estate ()
TIM BARKER / GETTY IMAGES

Rivers are the lifeblood of Bangladesh. More than 700 of them criss-cross the country, and travelling along them is an experience not to be missed. From cross-river car ferries or creaking old paddle-wheel steamers to the humble rowboat or traditional wooden yachts, it is said that there are more types of boats in Bangladesh than in any other country. So whether you fancy a multiday adventure deep into the countryside or just a quick jaunt around a city dock, get yourself down to a river ghat, and get involved.

MICHAEL RUNKEL / IMAGEBROKER

Tracking Tigers in the Sundarbans

The mangrove forests of the Sundarbans National Park ( ) are home to the largest single population of tigers found anywhere in the world. There are around 400 Royal Bengal tigers roaming the region, and boarding a boat in search of them is an undisputed highlight of a trip to Bangladesh. Its possible to dip into the forest on a self-organised day trip from Mongla, but for a true adventure, and to increase your admittedly slim chances of seeing a tiger, book yourself onto a four-day boat tour from Khulna.

NEELSKY / SHUTTERSTOCK

Cycling round Srimangal

Much of Bangladesh is perfect terrain for cycling, but its only in Srimangal ( ) the tea-growing capital of Bangladesh that travellers can easily rent bikes to go exploring. The landscape here is a casual cyclists dream: hilly enough to be interesting, but not too steep to be exhausting. There are lakes to visit, villages to swing by and forests to free-wheel through and the gently rolling hills of the surrounding tea estates ensure the scenery is always top notch.

Zareen Tea Estate ()
TIM BARKER / GETTY IMAGES

Hiking off the Beaten Track

The countrys eastern regions of Sylhet and Chittagong contain forested hills and small, rugged mountains. This is no Himalaya, but the landscape offers plenty of opportunity to stretch your legs with a number of worthwhile hikes on offer. There are relatively simple day hikes you can take from places like Srimangal, but for something more off the beaten track, base yourself in Bandarban, find yourself a good guide and head off in the direction of one of the forested peaks of the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

Hills around Bangladesh
PONIRS PHOTOGRAPHY

Riding the Rocket

Steeped in almost 100 years of history, Bangladeshs famous paddle-wheel steamer may not be the fastest thing on the waterways these days, but it gets more and more romantic each passing year. There are four remaining Rockets all built in the early part of the 20th century and although you can no longer ride them all the way from Dhaka to Khulna, you can still take long overnight trips on them. Book yourself a cabin, put your feet up and watch Bangladesh float by.

DBIMAGES / ALAMY

The Locals

Bangladesh isnt the easiest country to travel around. The infrastructure is poor and the travel industry is still in its infancy, but one thing you can be sure of is that whatever difficulties you get into there will always be someone at hand to help you out. Bangladeshis are incredibly warm, welcoming and honest people, and simply meeting the locals and making new friends is one of the highlights of a trip to this part of south Asia.